I stop short at the mixed-up look on Marley’s face.
“What?”
“I too am staying at the Grand Palms Resort,” she admits.
“In Maui?”
“Yes. For a week.”
“You’re kidding?”
“I kid you not,” she mocks.
A slow, amused grin pulls at my mouth as I look at her in wonder. How the hell did she do that? Five minutes ago my mind was in a war zone. And somehow she appears and quiets all of it without even trying. Like she simply reaches into my head and adjusts the volume down on my chaos. She has my full attention, and that’s not something a woman has had in a long time.
“Okay, so we definitely have to hang out while you’re in Maui. I can take you to dinner.”
“No, thank you,” she deadpans.
“No?” I repeated, genuinely surprised.
“Yes,no.” She says again with certainty.
“Why not?” I am more amused than offended.
I’ve never been turned down before. The female gaze tends to find me no matter where I go or what I do. I’ve learned to ignore it at most. The fact that Marley doesn’t seem bothered by me in one way or another makes me find her even more attractive. It’s me that’s burning with curiosity.
“What part ofno distractionsdid you not understand?”
I press my hand into my chest. “I’m a distraction?”
“You are.”
“I’m just a young man wanting to take a beautiful woman,you, out to dinner. That’s it. That’s all.”
“Dinner with a stranger in Maui?”
“Am I a stranger?”
Her laugh makes me want to tell jokes all day long so I can hear it again and again. “Why do you want to go out with me anyway? You don’t even know me.”
“That’s kind of the point,” I tell her. “I’d like to.”
Marley’s wide, doe-like eyes connect with mine once again, our gaze lingering until surprise flashes across her face. Then, as if snapping out of a trance, her body goes rigid. I watch hertense, shoulders locking up as her eyes squeeze shut. She presses her back into her seat, fingernails digging into the armrests.
“Hey, you good?” I ask, concern on my face.
I scan her over before peering out the window. The plane is now on the runway, revving up for takeoff. In seconds, the engine roars to life. When I look back at Marley, she is shivering, her mouth silently counting down numbers.
The moment I sense her fear, instinct takes over. Without a second thought, I take her hand in mine. The reaction is sudden and impulsive, but I can’t help wanting to put her at ease in some way, shape, or form.
Marley’s eyes snap open, and she looks at me. At that moment I feel like I’ve made a mistake.
Stepped over a boundary.
I wait for her to pull her hand out of mine, but instead her grip tightens. I relax, my chest swelling up with triumph when her fingers thread into mine. I can feel her anchoring herself, and that alone puts me at ease.
“I got you,” I tell her softly.
